Index Regimentus Outline

[Beachymike123]

So i was browsing through the B&C as we all do from time to time and i was a'thinking (while i was looking at different Index Astartes articles), why don't we in the Guard sub-forum create an Index Regimentus? we come up with backgrounds for our space marine chapters/chaos warbands (and in some cases Index Sororitas for sisters of battle), so why shouldn't we flex the creative elements of our brains and come up with a template for our guard regiments? so, without further a do, i have a basic idea of what i'd like to put in my own Index Regimentus (coming up in the next couple of days). these are:

 

Regiment Datafile: <<Regiment Name>>
Homeworld/Operational Headquarters: is the regiment raised on an Imperial/Renegade/Neutral world? If not is it operating as part of a Crusading army and so made up of various regiments now united under one banner?

Origins & Recruitment: Why was the regiment raised? Was it part of a planetary tithe, or was it raised in direct response to an emerging threat (Ork WAAAGHs, Tyranid invasion, Black Crusade)? In addition, how does it replace casualties? Does it recruit from its central homeworld (Catachan, Cadian, Mordian etc) or does it absorb depleted regiments under its banner (Tanith 1st and Only, regiments taking part in protracted campaigns that operate far away from their homeworld)? In the recruitment phase, are there any rituals/stipulations that must be undertaken to prove one's self for service?

Battle Doctrine: Does your regiment follow common tactics or does it specialise in certain types of warfare? Does this hamper its effectiveness in any way? You wouldn't have Catachans in trenches or Armageddon Steel Regiments fighting in an ocean on a water world.

Organisation: Does your regiment follow standard Guard hierarchy or is it part of a private army? If it doesn't follow the standard pattern why not?

Beliefs: How does your regiment venerate the Immortal Emperor/Dark Gods (if Imperial or Traitor Guard)? Is it a literal or metaphorical interpretation? Do they even know why they carry out these actions? Chances are that preachers will spread the word of the Emperor, but the actual people of the planet may see him as the sun in the sky, whereas on Chaos aligned world young recruits may interpret the Chaos Gods as associated animals or totems.

Technological Background: What level of technology is your regiment used to? Are they technologically adept and have great ties to the Ad-Mech, or are they from a backwater world that revers the humble woodman's axe? How do they deal with travel through the Warp and space travel? Are your tanks powered by loud combustion engines that make your allies think the Orks are coming, or do they utilize stable flux-ion cores that burn for hours at minimal noise level?

Historical Figures/Events: Are there any historical figures or events that have shaped your fighting men into who and what they are today? Are there any banners or relics your regiment/s take to war with them that will inspire them and make them fight harder? The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Imperium so they say. 

Notable History
<<basic information on the Regiment's notable history>>
 

 

Well thats all of them i think. Most are there to inspire some background for your army and reasons why it fights the way it does. Mostly, its there to help flex your creative side and help flesh out our all too human fighters in the 41st millenium, something the majority of us enjoy doing. Hopefully we'll see some Index Regimentus articles springing up, which I look forward to reading. 

If anyone feels they want to add anything or if something is a bit long winded, put your c&c in below. this is just a rough starter and i'm sure that people who are better at BB codes will create better headed IRs, but lets get the ball rolling. 

I would especially like to thank Brother Tyler however for his templates. They proved an invaluable resource when creating this thread (as i had no idea how to use BBCodes before this). I'd also like to thank Seahawk for letting me get the ball rolling, lets see where this baby takes us 

 

edit: Dammit, i'll get the hang of this BB coding if it kills me. Until then its in basic text, but you get the idea. 

 

Edited March 7, 2013 by leinmann

[*Furyou Miko]

lol, I just posted a link to an offsite, nonaffiliated one of these. :D

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/272374-a-growing-resource/

 

 

 

 

Regiment Name: Solstice Lunar III "Sunshiners" Homeworld: Solstice Commanders Name: Colonel Branwen ferch Sion Estimated Regiment Size: six hundred specialist guard plus an additional thousand support staff and ground crew. Unit Type: Drop Troop / Combat Engineers Gender: Female Allegiance: Loyal Prefered Special Weapon: Grenade Launcher Prefered Heavy Weapon: Missile Launcher Preferred Melee Weapon: Trenching Tool Background: The Solstice Lunar III are often mis-labelled as a light drop regiment. While they are often deployed in this manner by incompetent or desperate Imperial commanders, their true specialisation is best illustrated by their melee weapon of choice: the S-59 Trenching Tool.

The SL3 are one of the Guard's foremost units of Sappers, utilising light equipment and Valkyrie airframes to redeploy rapidly along the front, employing tunnels, trenches and experimental weaponry to take enemy territory by storm. When the Marines take ground, the Sappers are first in the second wave to secure it. When the Marines aren't available, the Sappers lead the charge.

Despite this, many guard regiments consider Sappers to be 'back-seat warriors', suited only to supporting the advance. The Solstice Lunar regiments suffer especially from this as they are all-female units, leading to prideful senior officers dismissing them until they have witnessed their work first-hand.

The third regiment are known as the Sunshiners.

Their name comes from their iconic deployment method - the Sunshiners deploy from low orbit using Valkyries fitted with sacrificial re-entry shields that allow the assault carriers to make significantly more rapid re-entries than normally possible. As the regiment descends, the shields burn off with distinctive white flames that light up the sky like an early dawn.

The Sunshiners already have a reputation for being fierce, reliable and - perhaps most importantly - intelligent combatants. Extensively trained in the use of explosives and battlefield improvisation, the women of Solstice are capable sappers, well versed in the use of their trenching tools as both spade and weapon. Once on the ground, they make extensive use of scouts to pinpoint enemy targets of priority before making surgical strikes mounted in Valkyrie Assault Carriers and older Valiant Gunships, striking with the precision of a scalpel and the force of a pickaxe.

Because they operate in such a rapid fashion, the Sunshiners forgo the use of heavy vehicles, preferring to rely on their Valiants, Valkyries and the occasional Sentinel Walker to provide fire support. Portable heavy weapons are limited to those which can be carried and taken down swiftly - grenade and missile launchers with light mortars are their preferred offensive weapons, while sniper rifles and livens projectors are a favourite for defensive actions.

Each Company consists of 1 C&CS (Command and Control Section), 1 ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance), 4 Platoons, and 2 S3 (Support Sentinel Section). They may be expanded with additional resources depending on the combat theatre, most commonly additional Valiant and Victor gunships.

Each C&C contains 1 AC (Area Command), 2 IS (Infantry Squads), 1 S2 (Support Squad), 2 VAC (Valkyrie Assault Carrier) and 2 VaG (Valiant Assault gunships)

Each AC contains 1 Major, 1 Captain, 1 Corpsman, 1 Comm. Officer and 2 Specialists.

Each IS contains 1 Corporal, 1 Corpsman, 2 Specialists, 1 Comm. Trooper and 7 Troopers.

Each S2 contains 1 Corporal, 1 Comm. Trooper, and 4 Specialists.

Each ISTAR contains 1 ICS (Intelligence Command Squad) and 5 ST (Scout Teams)

Each SCS contains 1 Lieutenant and 1 Comm. Officer.

Each ST contains 1 Comm. Trooper and 1 Specialist, usually a Sniper.

Each Platoon consists of 1 PCS, 3 IS, 1 S2, 3 VAC and 2 VaG

Each PCS contains 1 Lieutenant, 1 Sergeant, 1 Comm. Officer, 1 Corpsman, and 2 Specialists.

Each S3 consists of 1 SCS (Sentinel Command Squadron) and 2 MSS (Mechanised Support Squadrons)

Each SCS contains 1 Lieutenant, 1 Sergeant, and 1 Comm. Officer. The Comm. Officer pilots a special ECM Sentinel with a long-range Vox system.

Each MSS contains 1 Sergeant and 2 Corporals. Note that they do not include Comm. Officers, as their vehicles have inbuilt vox systems. Historical Figures: Major Aeronwy ferch Lugh led the Sunshiners C company during the Venta Majoris campaign, but saw heavy losses against the traitor marines. The company was decimated despite excellent leadership on her part as the heavy fighting against warp-witchery and Astartes-level combatants overwhelmed the Sunshiners' tactics and equipment.

Colonel Branwen ferch Sion is the current commander of the Third Regiment. She is a hard-nosed woman from the deep mines of the shield moon and a veteran tunnel fighter in her own right. She saw action against the Dark Eldar on Aexe and the traitor guard on Aighe Mortis. She has fought Greenskin and Necron, and led her regiment through some of the worst firefights in their admittedly short history. She has not survived unscathed - both her eyes have been replaced with unsettling augmetics that she conceals with dark glasses, and large parts of her left leg have been repaired with metal after it had to be amputated to preserve her life after she took a splinter round to the ankle from a Druchi raider.

Vox. Corporal Myfanwy Ewans stands out as the regiment's pride. She received an Order of Ollanius Pius for her brave actions against a Tyranid beast known only as the Red Terror during the Venta campaign. The Terror had appeared on Valos during the Venta Majoris campaign and eliminated several high-ranking local commanders, including the Salamander's Master of the Forge. Myfanwy was acting as a liason to the Order of the Martyred Lady's kill teams as they hunted the beast through the tunnels when it ambushed the commander. The beast had swallowed two of the Canoness' celestian bodyguards before anyone knew it was there, and had set its sights upon the unarmoured Vox. Corporal as its next prey when she managed to unship her autorifle and trigger the underslung grenade launcher. When the krak grenade detonated in the Terror's throat it was close enough that she suffered flash burning down one half of her face as the metal of her headset melted into her flesh. Canoness Agrippa herself recommended her for the Order, commending her cool head and bravery befitting a Sister of Battle. Myfanwy serves on, although her once fair face bears the unmistakable scars of that fateful encounter. Notable Campaigns: The Solstice Lunar III are a young regiment, yet have already served in several notable campaigns, including action against Dark Eldar raiders on Aexe, the Sword of Enlightenment on Aighe Mortis, the Chaos assault on the Venta Majoris system and the Cleansing of Aldi in the Pentecost system.

[Andhil]

Regiment Datafile: Golgothan 7th Legion

Homeworld/Operational Headquarters: Golgotha, which is currently overrun by Orks.

 

Origins & Recruitment: The Legion was never officially formed as they were previously miners, working in the 7th Planetary Mining Complex.

Due to the loss of their Homeworld the Golgothans absorb depleted regiments, and conscript able bodied men from freed planets.

Those that are recruited are generally educated by their new squad mates in their respective culture, and a basic Infantry squad rarely contains more than 3 members from the same planet. This ensures that the Legion maintains it's coherency, as every new member is told they are now Golgothans, and they should refer to themselves as such.

 

Battle Doctrine: The Golgothans favor overwhelming force. If they can get the job done with an Infantry Platoon, they'll send in a Squadron of Leman Russes to mop up any resistance left standing after sustained shelling.

 

The individual troops are very gung-ho, and extremely trigger-happy.

 

The Legion has a preference for Punisher variants, and is even experimenting with mounting Gatling cannons on to Valkyrie transports.

 

The Legion also has a strange obsession with Deathstrike Missiles, and their frequent use of them has raised questions as to where they acquired such an arsenal.

 

Organisation: The Legion is a virtually self-suficient army, they handle recruitment themselves, choose their own battlefields and even own their own Emperor-Class Battleship, which they use both as transport and warship.

-The highest ranking Golgothan is the Lord General, who commands the entirety of the Legion, include the course of the Battleship, he often joins the fight on the planet surface, but regularly directs his forces from the spaceship. Rank is currently held by Maximillian.

-Next in line is the Captain General, who commands the Companies, he can always be found on the frontline, inspiring the troops. Rank currently held by Roberto Fernandez (former Cadian Corporal)

-Below him are the Grand Captains, they command the Platoons.

-The Veteran Sergeants, which includes the Stormtrooper squads, operate largely independently of the Platoons, and they answer directly to the Captain General.

-The Tank Crews fall under the command of the Lord General, but they often take orders from the Captain General.

 

Beliefs: The Golgothans see the Emperor as a God of War, and every xenos kill is considered a prayer to him. Outside of combat every Golgothan worships the Emperor in private, they pray without uttering a single word as they believe that the only way the Emperor can hear their prayers is when no-one else can.

 

Technological Background: The Golgothans adore technology, preferably the type with the biggest gun mounted on it. This attitude has won them some favor with the AdMech as they often test out "experimental designs" for them. Even the Techpriests attached to the Golgothan Legion found they suddenly liked the idea of additional guns mounted to every vehicle possible.

It should be noted that the Golgothans have been linked to several mysterious "dissapearing" tanks. One Cadian regiment famously 'misplaced' a Shadowsword Super-Heavy tank, while coincidentally a freshly painted Shadowsword had appeared in the Golgothans vehicle pool.

 

Historical Figures/Events: The Golgothans were 'founded' when the employees of the 7th Planetary Mining Complex were led in a uprising against their armed Guards by the now legendary Vex. The Golgothans overpowered their guards, took their weapons and wore their black armour over their own grey clothes.

-Vex is to the Legion what the Primarchs were to the Astartes. Vex fell when the Golgothans moved to the spaceport. The Legion carried his body to an Emperor-class battleship, which they claimed, and renamed "Hand of Vex" in his honor.

-The current Lord General of the Golgothans is Maximillian. It was his decree that all who joined the Legion should remember their heritage, and pass it on to their squad. He is a level-headed man, who rose through the ranks at lightning-speed, his views on strategy encompass a new scale, which has led the Legion to battlefields other Commanders deem unimportant.

 

Notable History:

During the Nimbosa Crusade the Golgothans ignored the main battlefields, choosing to hit the Tau's civilian population instead. This had the added benefit that the Tau found themselve forced to pull troops out of the main battle to halt the Golgothans bloody and merciless onslaught. The Legion gained infamy amongst the Catachan regiments when it firebombed an entire jungle that was contested by Catachan troops and Tau Hunter cadres.

 

A particulary gruesome chapter in the Legions history is the eradication of a Feral World, which had appearently strayed from the Emperor's Light. The Golgothans engaged, and a month later an Inquisitor arrived on site, and requested if they Golgothans had proof of this planets heresy. The Lord General ordered the month-long shelling of a rural village be stopped, and sent out a small squad to gather evidence. They returned 5 minutes later holding the pieces of the God-Emperor's statue, pulled from the rubble of the church.

 

In more recent times the Golgothans answered a call for reinforcements on a backwater planet that should have been uninhabited. Upon breaking orbit the Golgothans found the planet held one of the Black Templar's Chapter Keeps, and it was surrounded by a tide of greenskins. The Golgothans aided the Templars in destroying the Ork menace, and were granted the honor of bearing the Templar Cross on their banners and vehicles. After a recommendation from High Marshal Helbrecht, who remembered the Legion from Nimbosa, the Legion and Templars formed a joint Crusade. They are now heading to the Golgotha system, but multiple warnings indicate various threats in the System. The largest threat: Daemonic Invasion.
 

[Brother Tyler]

Ah, this looks like a very worthwhile project.

 

As far as the "Index Regimentus" goes, I would suggest a less regimented (no pun intended) concept. There's certainly nothing wrong with having a format that players can use, and I intend to add a variety of formats for Imperial Guard regiments to the DIY Article Templates. Calling everything an "Index ~" isn't necessary, however. In the case of the Imperial Guard, we actually have a couple of different existing formats that Games Workshop has used. The first is the "Famous Regiments of the Imperial Guard" series of articles and the second is the variety of articles that Forge World has used in the various Imperial Armour books. I'm still going through old White Dwarf issues to find other formats and will add those. Don't get me wrong - I think that the Index Regimentus idea can easily be incorporated into all of this as a viable format. I'm just saying that no one should feel constrained to use a single format for their DIY.

 

Also, there has been discussion amongst the staff about whether or not to put DIY IG development in this forum or to put it in what is currently called the Liber Astartes forum (we would rename that forum if there were some consolidation). There are good points on both sides and we are undecided for right now. Regardless, I would recommend against putting all DIY IG regiments (or even complete planetary IG organizations) into a single discussion. As the Liber Astartes forum has shown over the years, feedback and refinement of IG articles can be very intensive and having each as a separate discussion allows for focus, especially when someone revisits their DIY months or even years later. A single index of DIYs such as has been created in the Tabula Astartes and Tabula Sororitas is advised, and I've actually begun my preparation of such an index for the IG (tentatively named the Tabula Imperialis). The nature of the Imperial Guard puts some unique requirements on the index, so I'm working through those. For example, a single planet might raise multiple regiments at once or it might only have a single regiment (Cadia being a good example of the former, Taros being an example of the latter). Regardless, inclusion in the index (Tabula Imperialis or whatever it ends up being called) will have requirements similar to those for the Astartes and Sororitas - and these are scaled to allow for players with different focuses. The only difference is that the painter image requirement will allow for something else until we get an IG painter made available for use.

 

In the meantime, I'm open to suggestions for both formats and key data points for the index ("Tabula Imperialis" unless someone can come up with a better name). I especially need data point ideas as this will drive the creation of images for section headers in the various article formats.

[The Mad Hermit]

I don't think Guard regiments should be intermixed with Astartes DIYs in the Liber, really. With the volume of posting of Astartes chapters, it might be hard to find individual Guard inclusions as they get bumped down the list.

 

Also, I think there should be some kind of guideline for Regiments to be posted, even with the endless variety of regiments that may be raised. I just think following some kind of format would make them all easier to write and/or read.

[Brother Tyler]

Whether or not IG DIYs will remain here or move to Liber is really a discussion for later, and will depend upon whether or not the IG forum remains here permanently. Only then do we need to make a decision on the matter. For now, IG DIYs will remain in this forum.

 

As for a format, it's okay to have one or more formats/guidelines, but they are not required by any means. It is likely that most players will use commonly accepted formats, but other players may desire to present their DIYs using some other format. We've seen this with Space Marine DIYS and the issue was settled there long ago. This is not a topic open to debate - consider it policy.

 

It's important to emphasize that we are not saying that you cannot come up with a format (or multiple formats). The one presented here is a great start and might be accepted as-is or it might be refined. That is what this discussion should focus on - the acceptance/refinement of the format that leinnmann presented, and potentially the identification and development of alternate formats. I've already found three different varieties in the Imperial Armour books (not including adaptations of formats used for Space Marine Chapters). I have yet to go through the various IG codices and my White Dwarf research has barely begun. We're likely to find a number of alternatives in the various sources, all of them perfectly acceptable for players to use in presenting their own DIYs.

[Beachymike123]

@brother tyler. the idea i had for this thead was for IG players to come up with ideas for their minis (history, reasons why certain minis were used in their collection etc), it is in no way means to step on your toes and for the work that you have done (which is alot btw, you definately have a fan here). as man have said, it would be better kept as a thread due to limited space in the IG subforum and the fact that with every space marine chapter, you'll probably have a thousand IG regiments. my idea was that whilst we have this time on the B&C, IG players will be able to show off the fluff for their regiments, whether this is permanent or not is ultimately up you you guys in admin. really, i wanted to give players a frame to work with. they shouldn't feel constrained to this by any means, as you say there are plenty of examples where the idea of a regiment's history is presented in different formats. 

[Beachymike123]

damn ps3 and its limited text box. the index regimentus comes from index - looking something up, and regimentus - seems to fit in the 40k universe. if there is a better title, i'd say put it to the mods to change it. but as i say, this thread i intended as a way for players to indulge in the creative side for their all too human counterparts in 40k. i'd like to think of this thread not as a sprinter, but as the marathon runner that people can use as a guideline for their fluff. if you feel its good enough to use in future projects, i say fair play, and contributions to this thread are therefore the foundations. if not, then i'd at least to see this thread run for a while as players add their ideas to the forum and share them with the B&C community. 

and in case anyone is wondering, i see where brother tyler is coming from. this isn't a whinge at him by any means, he and many of the other mods/admin are fair and level headed. i just thought i'd clarify what i was trying to establish with this thread. 

[Beachymike123]

as i fully appreciate his input into this endeavour. i'm going to lose my rag with this limited text in a minute. :devil:

[Brother Tyler]

Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with this idea. In fact, in many ways it mirrors the Liber Sororitas Ordos Minoris. If the intent is for this topic to serve a similar role, great (and I'll clean up all of the discussion).

 

You guys really caught me off guard and moved a lot faster than I expected. I've been working on both a tabula for the IG and researching formats for DIY regiments. This idea sort of melds those ideas, so the Index Regimentus, whether as presented or refined, will be added to the templates that I linked (in addition to whatever other formats I can find).

 

Believe me, there's nothing wrong with this discussion (except any notions that players might be forced to use one format, which I know isn't quite what you proposed, leinmann, but others might fall into that trap). By all means, keep this idea going.

[Beachymike123]

no worries brother tyler, i get where you are coming from. just wires getting crossed more than anything. i've seen your thread on the tabulas imperialus, looks like you've got your hands full, but nothing i'm sure that you can't sort out. if this helps you in any way, then even more good has come out of it than i would have thought. 

i will be adding my own fluff to this thread asap, but my laptop has died and i'm using my ps3 for all my internet access, and i don't want to do 20 postst just for one thing lol :rolleyes: but i am liking the way this thread is going so far, nice work so far guys. keep 'em coming

[Idlem]

Regiment Datafile: The Cadian "Old" 256.

Homeworld/Operational Headquarters: The "Old" 256 originally hails from Cadia, currently stationed as part of a relief force for the beleaguered PD forces of Arsuf, of the Montgisard system.
 

Origins & Recruitment: The “Old” 256 was raised on Cadia as a rapid relief force for one of the countless battles fought over the Imperium. At the time, the young and relatively inexperienced commander, Jonathan Grey, was given a force made up mostly of Whiteshields. Called then the “Young 256”, Grey proved his and his regiment’s worth across battlefield to battlefield. Eventually, as the years went on, the aging core survivors of the 256 would be reinforced with the older soldiers of other Cadian regiments. Now a commander in his later years, Grey commands the now dubbed “Old 256”, a regiment made of older, but battle hardened, Cadian stock. They have also recently gained an influx of penal legionaries, whom Grey gives ample opportunity to redeem themselves in battle. So far, only one penal legionnaire has survived these tasks and has been allowed to return to service as a proper guardsman. 
 

Battle Doctrine: Commander Grey commands a relatively battle hardened force. Made up of many veterans, the 256 enjoys superior soldiers able to lead the newer recruits into battle. Backed by good old Cadian tanks, the 256 commands a powerful presence on the battlefield. Grey also enjoys many favors owed to him by battle brothers from previous battles, able to call in Kasrkin elite as needed.

 

Organization: Standard Cadian patterns, with some deviations, as needed.
 

Beliefs: Typical Cadian dedication toward the Emperor and the Imperium. The Old 256 is followed around by a Preacher named Decker, who tends to find the grizzled veterans of the 256 able to follow along his zealous rhetoric.

 

Technological Background: The Old 256 deviates from standard Imperial protocol in their ability to jury-rig most of their tanks in the heat of battle. Thankfully with no permanent Ad-Mech support to the Regiment, the 256 is spared the brunt of a Tech-Priest’s wrath for these actions. Otherwise, the 256 maintains the normal amount of knowledge all Cadian regiments are trained to.

 

Historical Figures/Events: The Old 256 has a history of being sent in to relieve forces in high problem areas. Commander Grey has a reputation as a problem solver, and with his veterans behind him, it is a reputation well deserved. Without having seen Cadia in many decades, the banners of the Regiment are important links to their home world, and they are carried by only the most dedicated soldiers of the regiment. Currently, the Old 256 is stationed in a backwater system named Montgisard, holding back a Word Bearer Warband as they wait for a Black Templar relief force.

 

[Beachymike123]

whoo-hoo, got my new laptop today, so i'm finally able to put my own regiment into the mix. hope its a good read for y'all, and glory to the dark gods. 

 

Regiment Datafile: Kryten's Nihilists
Operational Headquarters: Various starbases across the Tubren sub-sector in Segmentum Obscurus. However, Kryten's Nihilists are known to have a small fleet of four vessels, with the capital ship a captured Lunar class vessel, called the Black Wrath. 

Origins & Recruitment: The regiment is a collection of traitors, mercenaries and general scum who wish to see the Imperium of Man crushed to dust. Kryten himself is a former Imperial Guard General, but was betrayed by an Inquisitor who thought he was corrupt and arrested him. Toldras Kryten was able to slink away when the ship he was on was caught in a Warp Storm, although he was able to rouse several other convicts into a prison break. As he made it into a saviour pod however, he was joined by a small group of hardened renegades. Seeing a fellow kindred spirit, he began upon the road to damnation when he aligned himself with them and agreed to return to their base of operations, somewhere in the galactic south of the Eye of Terror after procuring a small ship. As a former battle commander, Kryten was soon able to amass several small bands under his banner through using superior tactics,destroying his opponents and recruiting the survivors into his own regiment of ragtag traitors. However, they were largely wiped out when an Iron Warriors warband, under the command of Lord Helslash, descended upon their world to search for an ancient artifact  Seeking parley with the Iron Warriors commander, and with his forces reduced to less than a handful of what they had been when he started his despot empire, he and his men were spared death, but at a steep cost. They were now essentially a forward element to the Iron Warrior's forces to a greater or lesser degree. Helslash allowed the renegades to survive on condition that they too search for artifacts the Iron Warrior was searching, as well as destabilizing Imperial rule before the sons of Perturabo would arrive, and bestowed the name Kryten's Nihilists upon them so as they knew their place. To Kryten, at least he would be able to still cause pain to the Imperium, and one day, maybe, break the chains of oppression from his superiors. Recruitment is very much a sporadic thing for the Nihilists - they can often go for months if not years without replenishing their numbers, but we  they do they will recruit en mass from the never ending lgions of renegades, heretics and traitors that can be found in Segmentum Obscurus. 

Battle Doctrine: To begin with, the Nihilists will send agents to identify societies where the greatest upheaval can be caused and begin sowing the seeds of heresy. This can come in a number of ways - riots, social unrest, agitating down trodden workers. Once things are in motion, Kryten will dispatch covert forces to begin arming militias while other teams will identify key targets - military installations, communication outposts, museums of great artifacts and so forth. Quite often, local PDF and Adeptus Arbites will be the first targets. Once these are neutralized, the Nihilists will launch all out assaults. Once fighting on the ground has commenced, the Nihilists will use divide and conquer tactics, feints and parries designed to lure and trap the enemy and grind them down. Armed militias, spurred on by preachers of the Dark Gods, will march forward into the teeth of enemy guns, although this is more often than not another tactic to gain information on enemy positions and strengths. If Lord Helslash deems it necessary, his Iron Warriors Grand Company will step in at this point. If not, they will move onto another area, leaving some of his Lieutenants to stand watch over the plan unfolding as he looks to other targets. Once victory is obtained, the renegades will fall back to Kryten who will have already begun searching for their target if not already found, and then return to their ships to leave the system before an Imperial response can begin the chase. 

Organisation: Kryten is the overall commander of Kryten's Nihilists, a claim he holds with an iron fist. His Command Squad is made up of the same renegades who he escaped with to escape Imperial justice, each of whom has gained a favour of a patron god. Below these are his Exalted, who lead his squads of either veterans (who have been Nihilists for several campaigns) or his platoons (who are made up of those not fully immersed in the ways of the Nihilists but whose military skills are too valuable to ignore). There is also Dark Seer Zutav, who holds a unique position in the regiment as psychic scryer and is charge of keeping all psychic activity within the regiment in check; and several agents of the Dark Mechanicus, who will hold many positions - battlefield engineers, techno-looters, overseers and so on. 

Beliefs: Initially, Kryten was a very materialistic person, seeing that he could gain more from looting and building up his own piratical empire. However, he has been influenced in his actions by his fellow renegades, and now often has several blasphemous runes upon his body. Essentially, he is a champion of Chaos Undivided, and believes that if the tools are there, they should be used. This belief has spread through the regiment to a greater or lesser degree, and those who follow the Dark Gods stand apart from their peers who are in it purely for the material gain. 

Technological Background: Kryten's Nihilists have a ragtag collection of technology used by the general mass. However, despite this, it is exceptionally well maintained thanks to their ties with the Dark Mechanicus and Lord Helslash's desire to have a well maintained war machine. Dark Mechanicus crews work constantly to examine forbidden technology when it is taken on board, and where possible, turn it over to the service of Chaos. This has led to many of the Nihilist's vehicles being powered by unknown fuels and firing volatile weapons. Personal armour is also strictly controlled, with Kryten and his retinue taking precedence over all others, followed by the Exalted and then the veterans. 

Historical Figures/Events: Other than Kryten himself, the Command Squad is exceptionally influential. Each one is aligned to the Warp Gods, whether as one entity or all. The heretic known as Bruno is aligned to Nurgle, and is often mistaken for being a Plague Zombie. However, his appearance belies his weapons expertise and dexterity, and will often lead an assault. Corwaski bears the regiment's blasphemous banner, and is in fact unaligned to any of the Chaos Gods, being Undivided like Kryten. Shreyd is aligned to Khorne, and barks orders into the vox-comm to the Exalted. Kurell is a follower of Slaanesh, although this is more in the attainment of muscular perfection than anything. He carries a grenade launcher and chainsword, which he enjoys trying to break Eldar spirit stones with when given the chance. Zutav has helped to guide Kryten as they continue their quest for artifacts for the Iron Warriors, although there always appears to be an ulterior motive whenever the Dark Seer speaks. Kharan is an Exalted who escaped Imperial justice and flocked to Kryten's banner just after the Nihilists were taken over by Lord Helslash, and has a very aggressive attitude towards the Imperium. He will often lead scouting parties once insurrection has begun to root in, and listens with glee as the preachers of the Warp give praise. 

Notable History
735.M41. Inquisitor Lucius Raven declares General Toldras Kryten a heretic and arrests  him for commiting crimes of embezzlement, dereliction of duty and squandering the Emperor's resources. He is placed under arrest and shipped with a penal ship to stand trial, but escapes when a Warp Storm hits the ship and a jail break ensues. 

742.M41. Having built up a largely mercenary warband, Kryten's men are largely wiped out as Lord Helslash and his Iron Warriors descend upon them. Kryten bargains with the Legionnaire, and agrees to aid him in any way he can in return for his gain back in the form of military personnel so as to persecute his actions. So begins the beginning of Kryten's Nihilists.  

897.M41. Kryten's Nihilists and Lord Helslash's Siege Company destroy the peaceful world of Jayden, and make off with the STC designs for a new ship-based weapon

901.M41. Following a distress signal from the world of Cados, Space Marines of the Dark Angels Chapter arrive to find the world in uproar. After quelling the rebellion, the Astartes view vid-picts revealing this to be the work of Kryten's Nihilists who had already fled several days earlier. 

906.M41. Kryten is injured when the Nihilists attack an Adeptus Mechanics ship, the Fist of Iron. Although successful, Kryten spends the next year or so recuperating and gaining bionic implants. Lord Helslash took personal control of the Nihiists for a brief time, but was glad when Kryten had recovered enough stating that the mortals didn't have enough iron within for his liking. 

911.M41. Eldar attempt to liberate several relics in Kryten's possession, but prove unsuccessful. Half of Zutav's psychers are wiped out as Warlocks unleash horrific mind storms upon them. 

921.M41. The Dragon's Blood Chapter engages Lord Helslash's Siege Company as they attempt to leave the world of Grithen IV. The Nihilists, having already returned to their ships, engage from orbit and cripple the Strike Cruiser August Judgement. 

926.M41. A Word Bearers warhost attempts to convert some of the more zealous of Kryten's men to their cause. In truth, they need ore sacrifices and hosts for possession. Several are sent over, and as their bodies are possessed, small thermo-nuclear explosives implanted into the self sacrificing individuals are set off, destroying the majority of the warhost. Those that are left are soon crushed by barrage fire. 

935.M41. Kryten's Nihilists gain the largest following ever thanks to a successful recruitment program. They then set about sacking the Kiertav System. Unbeknown to them, however, the Dragon's Blood Chapter are in system with a full company. 

 

Okay so i know it seems all about Kryten, but i wanted to capture it as his personal regiment - he is a fallen commander who thinks only about the gain and not much else. I have gone to 935.M41 as the current setting as my neighbour and I are about to start a campaign, which will be the result of this. thanks for reading this, and hope you enjoyed it. 

Edited April 5, 2013 by leinmann